Hajia Maryam Abacha’s Bare It All Interview

The former first lady of Nigeria and widow of Gen Sani Abacha, Hajia Maryam Abacha, had a recent chat with Abubakar Hashim of The News magazine. Hajia Maryam has lived a quiet life since the demise of her husband. But in this chat, she spoke on a lot of issues. Read the 

   excerpts below:

How has life been with you since the death of your husband?

We thank God for His kindness and love for us. We also thank those that  have been around us in these moments of grief. We are still waiting for  those that have distanced themselves from us to reconcile and come back. We are not angry with anybody. We are still friends to everybody. We  look forward to the Almighty Allah to provide us the fortitude to bear  this loss. So life has been quiet and peaceful with us. We are one and a happy family.

When you heard of his sudden death, how did you take it? How did you feel?

My husband’s death was like a coup. It was sudden and shrouded in  confusion. General Abdulasalami [Abubakar] just called me, telling me to come and collect the dead body. We buried him like any other ordinary  Nigerian. It was quite unfortunate the way he died. Allah knows best and unto Him we shall all return. May his soul rest in peace. I’m yet to  fully recover from the shock of his death.

And how did you both meet?

Like any other would-be couple. He was a charming, handsome and likeable  personality; a loving father who liked his children and loved ones. We  became friends and got married. Here are pictures in the family album;  before, during and after our wedding day. He was a caring husband, a  dedicated father and an affectionate grandfather.
President Goodluck Jonathan awarded your late husband a centenary award. How did you feel receiving the award?

We felt happy. Maybe this is the beginning of good things to happen to  Nigeria; maybe reconciliation… President Jonathan is a young man, he is  using his time and energy to bring peace and reconciliation. I think it  is high time we all come together to lift the country and stabilise  ourselves. I hope it is the beginning of good things to come.
Do you still continue with the pet projects you embarked on when you were first lady?

I did those projects on government basis. They are still on there.  Obasanjo did not change the names, neither did subsequent [Presidents].  The African First Ladies Peace Mission is still there, the Poverty  Alleviation Programme, the National Programme on Immunisation, the  Family Support Programme, the Family Support Basic Education Programme  and the Family Economic Advancement Programme are all there. These are  projects and programmes that touched the lives of the people,  particularly women.
The National Hospital is there and so are the other hospitals around  the country. I never did  any programme for my personal benefit, but  for the government and the people of the country. So today, in my  personal capacity, on whether I’m still embarking on these projects,  I’m no longer in government so I’m not embarking on such projects. I  tried my best as the then first lady to bring about all-round  development, particularly for women in the rural areas. We did extensive reach-out to the rural populace and touched lives in the remote areas  of the country.
Do you have any political ambition?

No, I don’t have any political ambition.
For the presidency, at least; the first woman President of Nigeria?

Not at all. I was a first lady. I just want peace for the country.  Stability and development are not achieved by one person. There are  governors, ministers, local chairmen, civil servants and the like. It is a cluster of people. The President alone does not make a government.
What is your assessment of General Muhammadu Buhari, and by extension, the All Progressives Congress, APC?

I brought General Buhari into politics; It’s not that I want to expose  him. We did everything to support and encourage him. He called my son  Mohammed to join Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. They rejected  Mohammed by force during the governorship race. This was the trend, not  only in Kano, but also in Katsina, Bauchi and other states. I think it  is not healthy for democracy; not just because of Mohammed but for the  smooth play of democratic norms and values. Democracy is the choice of  the people. But when people put their own personal interest first and  they interfere [in the process], then it is no longer democracy. It is  unfortunate that elders like them could come belittle themselves in the  race. For the APC I cannot comment. It is not yet time for me to  do so. However, it is good for democracy to have competition and  opposition. It enhances democratic values, norms and stabilises the  country’s image, and will eventually uplift our democratic credentials  in the international comity of nations.
Your son, Mohammed, wanted to be governor of Kano State….

It is the people of Kano that wanted my son to be governor. They still  want him to be governor. They’ve been calling us to come and intensify  his campaign. In fact, they are even campaigning on his behalf. So it is people of Kano that want him as governor because they appreciate his  father’s contribution to various fields of  endeavour. They also  appreciate the little projects and programmes I did in Kano and in the  country. They say he should come and continue the projects and  programmes in Kano.
The late General Sani Abacha  contributed to the restoration of democracy in Sierra Leone. Could you  comment on the role he played in the process.

I cannot  tell you exactly how he played this role as I was not a soldier, I was  just a housewife. But he tried his best for Sierra Leone and thank God  it was a success and indeed, peace returned to Sierra Leone. The late  Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was restored to power. It was indeed a tragedy to  hear about  his death recently. He was an African statesman of  international repute. I remember one of his visits [to Nigeria]  after he was restored to office; he was so calm, amiable and indeed,  supportive of a just pan-African solution to African crises. He was  indeed, a true democrat of continental proportion. My late husband  honoured him and appreciated him.
What message do you have for the people of Sierra Leone on the death of Kabbah?

I send my sympathy, my condolence and my prayers. May God give them  peace, may God give them the fortitude to bear the great loss of the  father of democracy in that country. May God give the present president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, the power to emulate what the previous president had done, particularly entrenching stability, peace and democracy in  Sierra Leone. I wish President Koroma all the best. He is a young man.
I wish the people of Sierra Leone all the best. I have never been there  but I hope to be there in my lifetime. I learnt it is a small and  beautiful country with about six million people, with lots of natural  resources including diamond and oil. May God Almighty grant the late  President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah eternal rest. May Allah also grant my late  husband eternal rest. Nigeria and Sierra Leone have a long, historical  relationship.
We look forward to building on the strong ties that  have cemented us for so long a period. That was why my late husband  stood by Sierra Leone in the time of her crisis; to restore democracy,  sanity and stability in the country. We couldn’t stand by and watch  Sierra Leone fall into anarchy, because the entire West African region  would have been affected. So we moved in to bring back normalcy and  sanity to the country. So my wish for Sierra Leoneans is that they maintain peace and stability, especially the peaceful democratic course we’ve seen in past elections. We want this to continue so that other  countries will emulate it.